


Winter's Charm

by AcesOfSpade



Series: Ace's Random One-Shot Collection [31]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 01:35:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12002181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcesOfSpade/pseuds/AcesOfSpade
Summary: An old friend of the Doctor invites him to a winter festival on her planet dedicated to love and romance. Who else would he bring but Sarah Jane, his best friend and the person he's been head-over-heels in love with for lifetimes? Maybe he'll even work up the nerve to tell her how he feels.





	Winter's Charm

**Author's Note:**

> Follows the same AU I am shameless for, wherein Sarah Jane never left the Doctor and the TARDIS kept her from ageing. I just wanted to get back into these two idiots, so here I am! The Number One OTP is back, guys!

“Are you sure about this, Doctor?” Sarah Jane asked softly, brushing her hair away from her neck so the Doctor could finish lacing up the back of her dress.

 

“Of course I am,” the Doctor nodded firmly, tying off the corset lace with a bow. “It’ll be fun! Think about it: fancy dresses and suits, little flutes of champagne and wine, classical music played live. I’m sure you’ll love it,” he assured her, instructing her to let go of her hair so he could braid it. He’d gotten very good at doing hair over the years, which came in handy with some of his companions. He worked quickly but deftly to braid her soft brown hair, twisting it up into a bun when he was done. “There you go,” he smiled, backing up slightly.

 

Sarah Jane turned to face the Doctor, smiling up at him. “I guess it won’t hurt,” she conceded. “Are you really going to wear _that_ though?” she teased, motioning to his muddy Converse and wrinkly suit.

 

“What’s wrong with it?” he huffed playfully.

 

“It’s filthy!” Sarah Jane chuckled. “You’ve gotten me to wear a ball gown the TARDIS picked out, and you’re going to wear a pair of muddy trainers and the suit you’ve been wearing for Lord knows how long?”

 

“I guess you’re right,” the Doctor sighed, heading for his closet to find something else. He came back out in his ‘formal suit’, as he called it. Though instead of a black bowtie, he wore a simple long tie in the same shade of gold as Sarah Jane’s corset. Sarah Jane couldn’t help but chuckle at his choice of tie, reaching out to straighten it for him.

 

“You look dashing,” Sarah Jane smiled, patting his tie when she was satisfied with it.

 

“And so do you,” the Doctor replied with a smile. “Now, allons-y!” he grinned, taking her hand to lead her out of the TARDIS.

 

Sarah Jane gasped at what lay outside the TARDIS’ doors, looking around with wide eyes. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground, reflecting the faint glow of the countless fairy lights strung between the trees. Every few trees had a bouquet of flowers placed on the trunk, each holding roses and lillies. It was simple, but elegant.

 

The Doctor smiled softly at her reaction, leading her towards the group of people mingling about. It was surprisingly not cold at all, despite the snow, which led Sarah Jane to assume they weren’t on Earth.

 

“Welcome to Aurelia’s annual winter festival,” the Doctor hummed, making a sweeping motion with his arm. “The monarch is an old friend of mine, and she insisted on me coming for one of these things,” he explained.

 

“It’s beautiful,” Sarah Jane smiled. “Thank you for bringing me.”

 

“I wouldn’t want anyone else here with me,” the Doctor muttered to himself, adding an audible ‘of course’ to Sarah Jane.

 

As they approached the group, a woman in a stunning gold gown approached the Doctor with a friendly grin.

 

“Doctor?” she guessed, smiling slightly at the presence of Sarah Jane on his arm. “I see you finally brought her,” she giggled, nodding towards his companion.

 

“Annalyse,” the Doctor smiled in greeting. “It’s lovely to see you again,” he added, trying to brush off the feeling in his chest at her comment about Sarah Jane.

 

“You must be Sarah Jane then,” Annalyse smiled, though she already knew. “It is wonderful to finally meet the woman the Doctor talks so much about,” she said knowingly, making the Doctr flush slightly.

 

“He talks about me?” Sarah Jane blinked. She knew he kept in contact with old friends from different planets sometimes, but he never mentioned Annalyse, or talking about _her_.

 

“At length, my dear,” Annalyse chuckled. “Though I must now take leave to greet the other guests. Do enjoy yourselves.” With that, Annalyse disappeared into the crowd.

 

Sarah Jane looked up at the Doctor curiously, though she didn’t say anything. She would ask him later, if the opportunity arose.

 

The Doctor just shook his head slightly, leading Sarah Jane further into the group. She stayed close to his side, not wanting to get lost.

 

As the final guests arrived, Annalyse got up on the stage-like thing near the trees, smiling. “Friends, nobles, allies, welcome to Aurelia’s pride and joy, the winter festival!” she beamed. “As you all must know, this festival is our celebration of unity and peace, but also a time to reflect on love and romance. Over the course of the night, there will be many activities for you all to partake in, which I sincerely hope you enjoy. Thank you all for coming,” she finished, stepping off the stage and disappearing into the crowd.

 

Sarah Jane did her best to not look as surprised as she felt. A time to reflect on romance? Why had the Doctor brought her here in that case? She tried to squash the fluttering of hope in her chest as she thought about it, though it still persisted.

 

Her thoughts were cut short by the sound of a trumpet-like instrument, drawing her attention back to the stage. A man in regal-looking clothing was reading off a handheld device of some kind, explaining the first of the festivities: the ball. An orchestra was setting up under the trees, tuning instruments and shuffling around sheet music.

 

As the orchestra began playing, the Doctor turned to Sarah Jane with an almost uncertain smile. “May I have this dance?” he asked hesitantly, holding out his hand.

 

“Of course you may,” Sarah Jane smiled, taking his hand and guiding it to her waist. His other hand rested on her waist as well, as her arms draped over his shoulders. They’d waltzed plenty of times together, for various functions they’d ended up at by accident, so it was second nature to them. Their bodies moved in perfect harmony, with Sarah Jane’s ear resting against the Doctor’s chest. She was too short to do much else, being nearly a foot shorter than the Doctor. She didn’t mind though, because she liked listening to the steady beating of his hearts. This time though, his hearts were beating much faster than normal, which caused her to frown slightly. Was he alright? She hoped so.

 

Even after the song changed, the Doctor and Sarah Jane kept dancing. Some of the other pairs had wandered off for refreshments, while others watched the two in awe. Many of the couples that were at the ball each year weren’t nearly as synchronized as the two of them, which must’ve meant a strong romantic bond between the two. Aurelians cherished romance and love above all else, and believed the love between two people could lead to peace and harmony.

 

Finally, the two pulled away from each other, but not very far. They stopped dancing, just standing near the edge of the field. Sarah Jane couldn’t help but notice the odd look on the Doctor’s face, though she couldn’t read it. His eyes were locked on her, though they were almost misted over. The smile on his face was tiny but warm, making Sarah Jane’s chest constrict.

 

As the Doctor just sort of stared at Sarah Jane, his hearts began beating even faster as his mind was swarmed by hundreds of thoughts, namely the long-held desire to just tell his best friend how he felt. He thought the Aurelian winter festival would be the perfect place to do as, as it was a festival dedicated to love and romance.

 

Another little part of his brain was screaming at him, telling him she might not feel the same way and want to go home. The rest of his mind told that little part to shut up.

 

The longer the Doctor just stared, the more Sarah Jane grew concerned. She placed her hands on his waist instead of his shoulders, hoping to get his attention.

 

“Doctor, are you alright?” she asked carefully, snapping him out of his daze.

 

“Hm? Oh yes, I’m fine,” he said quickly, his usual grin returning to his face.

 

Sarah Jane didn’t press him for more details, because she knew she wouldn’t get any. She just shook her head slightly, leading the Doctor back out for one last dance.

 

The ball portion soon drew to a close, Annalyse stepping back onto the stage with a knowing smile.

 

“Wasn’t that lovely?” she commented. “Now, for the best tradition of the night!” she grinned. “Many of you have cast votes for this, as all good decisions should be come to, and Raydon and I have counted those votes to award tonight’s pair for the strongest love. Most years, this title goes to Kenna and Dominic, but they have been beat this year by an old friend of mine. His first time at the festival, if you’d believe,” she giggled, shaking her head. “This marks the first time the award goes to two people of non-Aurelian decent, so please don’t be upset.” A small murmur arose from the group, but Annalyse silenced them with a raise of her hand. “Anyway, enough rambling. Would the Doctor and the lovely Sarah Jane Smith please come forward?” she smiled.

 

The Doctor and Sarah Jane both froze in their spots, eyes widening in surprise. They weren’t... they shouldn’t... Neither of them had known of this tradition, so being told they had the ‘strongest love’ was startling. Add on the whole ‘not together’ factor, and the two were blushing a light rosy colour as they made their way to the stage.

 

Once they reached the stage, Annalyse placed a crown of roses on each of their heads as the crowd broke out into polite applause. Sarah Jane blushed darker, wanting to hide her face in the Doctor’s side. She was grateful when they were dismissed back into the crowd, the two returning to their spot by the trees.

 

“I guess now is as good a time as ever,” the Doctor whispered to himself, turning to face Sarah Jane with that same misty-eyed look on his face. “Sarah, there’s something I should tell you...”

 

“Is everything alright, Doctor?” Sarah Jane frowned, concerned for her best friend.

 

“I hope it will be,” the Doctor nodded softly. On their own accord, his hands sought out her waist again, resting their gently. Taking a deep breath, he began to ramble. “I should hope you know you’re my best friend. The best friend I’ve ever had, really. I’ve never met anyone quite like you in all of my lifetimes, and I don’t ever want to in the future. You’re the only one like you I need. Oh God I’m rambling aren’t I?” he realized with a soft chuckle. “My point is, Sarah, that I love you. More than my other companions. They all hold a special place in my mind as family, but you... You’re a different kind of family, a different kind of love. I can’t imagine not having you by my side, though I don’t want this to break us apart.”

 

Sarah Jane listened to his words, unknowingly holding her breath the longer he spoke. When he said those three words, ‘I love you’, she let out the breath and smiled softly.

 

“My Doctor...” she muttered, hands reaching up to cradle his jaw in her hands. “I love you too, you daft fool,” she said fondly. “It took me far too long to realize it, but I do. Will all of my one heart.”

 

The Doctor relaxed under her touch, and even further at her words. He grinned almost stupidly, properly wrapping his arms around her waist to hug her tightly. When they pulled out of the hug, the Doctor looked down at Sarah Jane again. “May I... May I kiss you?” he asked softly.

 

“Of course,” Sarah Jane smiled, standing on the tips of her toes to meet him halfway. It was a soft, sweet kiss. Sarah Jane’s hands had found the Doctor’s jaw again, pulling him in closer as he did the same with the arms around her waist. It felt perfect, honestly, the kiss. As if they were meant to do this, be as close to each other as they could. A few of the other guests watched their kiss, smiling fondly. They were definitely the strongest couple they’d seen in years, even stronger than Kenna and Dominic, which was saying a lot, actually.

 

When the kiss broke, Sarah Jane moved her hands so she could wrap her arms around him in a hug, resting her ear against his chest. His hearts had slowed down to their regular, steady beating, which meant he was nervous earlier.

 

As the night went on, the Doctor and Sarah Jane had quite a bit of fun. Between off-key karaoke from the Aurelians to snow angel making contests, the entire night was brilliant.

 

Upon returning to the TARDIS and closing the doors behind them, Sarah Jane turned to the Doctor with a smile, getting up on the tips of her toes to kiss him again, just because she could. She’d wanted to do that for centuries, so she was going to take advantage of the new developments in their relationship to do so more often.

 

The Doctor kissed back softly, hands resting on Sarah Jane’s lower back to support her. They pulled apart after a few moments, smiling.

 

“Thank you, Doctor,” Sarah Jane said softly. “Thank you for bringing me. I had fun.”

 

“Of course,” the Doctor nodded with a smile. “There’s no one else I’d rather bring with me,” he admitted. “I’ve wanted to for lifetimes, but I’ve been scared...”

 

“Scared? Of what?” Sarah Jane frowned slightly.

 

“Rejection,” the Doctor muttered. “I was scared you wouldn’t feel the same, and I’d end the best friendship I’ve ever had.”

 

“Oh Doctor...” Sarah Jane sighed, wrapping her arms around him in another hug. “You’re not getting rid of me any time soon, you got that? Even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t leave you over it.”

 

The Doctor smiled, hugging Sarah Jane back and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.


End file.
